Humphry Primatt (12 results)

Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book, written in the 18th century, delves into a profound exploration of mercy and its crucial role in our treatment of animals. The author challenges the prevailing attitudes of the time, which often viewed animals as mere objects for human use, devoid of feelings or rights. Drawing upon a deep understanding of both nature and scripture, the author builds a compelling case for the ethical treatment of all living creatures. Set against the backdrop of Enlightenment thinking and evolving religious perspectives, this book offers a unique examination of animal welfare through the lens of both reason and faith. The author meticulously examines biblical texts, highlighting instances where kindness and compassion towards animals are not only encouraged but also commanded by God. This insightful analysis challenges anthropocentric views, arguing that human superiority does not justify the mistreatment of creatures under our dominion. Exploring themes of justice, empathy, and stewardship, the book underscores the interconnectedness of all creation and the moral responsibility humans bear towards the well-being of animals. By advocating for a more compassionate approach, the author paves the way for a deeper understanding of our relationship with the animal kingdom and the ethical implications of our actions. The book's timeless insights offer a poignant reminder that acts of mercy towards animals are not merely acts of kindness, but expressions of our own humanity and reflections of a just and benevolent society. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item.

Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned.

Editorial Centaur press, 1992, Reino Unido. Rústica. 21X14cm. 127pp. Portada muestra ligeras manchas, el interior no muestra señas de malestado.

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Condition: Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.

HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Hardcover. Condition: New.

Soft cover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First edition thus, nr fine in wraps. No inscriptions. Appears unread with minimal shelf-wear.

HRD. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Hardcover/Pappeinband. Reprint of 1776 edition. Ca. 330 p. Like new. Shrink wrapped. / Wie neu. In Folie verschweißt. Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 610.

First Edition. "PRIMATT, Humphry. A Dissertation on the Duty of Mercy and Sin of Cruelty to Brute Animals. London: Printed by R. Hett, 1776. Octavo, 19th-century full speckled brown calf, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, red morocco spine label, marbled endpapers. $8500.First edition of this foundational philosophical text, one of the first works devoted entirely to an attack on cruelty to animals and preceding Bentham's landmark work by over a decade. Very rare, no copy has appeared at auction since 1968."The first articulation of concern for the moral and legal status of animals appearing in British writing" (Favre and Tsang, The Development of the Anti-Cruelty Laws During the 1800's). "One day in the 1770s a retired Anglican vicar, the Reverend Humphry Primatt, DD (Aberdeen), sat down in his library in Kingston-on-Thames and wrote a short devout book about the relationship between mankind and the rest of the animal world. Others of his centuryPope, Addison, Steele, Benthamhad deplored cruelty to animals. Dr Primatt's distinction was that he approached the subject from the standpoint of a clergyman of the Established Church; and Christianity being what it is, 116 years later his book is as topical as ever Down the generations a small and often derided minority has opposed the conviction that man alone, among all the creatures, should enjoy rights. As an early activist in the cause Dr Primatt was remarkable because he was a priest of a faith so generally oblivious to the idea. He composed his book in the conventional form of an 18th-century theological treatise, but his attitudes were radical. Kindness to animals, Dr Primatt argued (or as he put it in the language of the day, 'mercy to brutes') was a doctrine of divine revelation. 'Every creature is to be considered,' he tells us, 'as a wheel in the great machinery of nature,' and thus no animal is contemptibleeven the ugly ones, he rather desperately proposes, may have been created 'to set off the beauties of the perfect' Dr Primatt was no sentimental idealist He never goes so far as to claim that the animals are our equals before God, still less to suggest they are endowed with immortal souls. His proposal is simply that it is as wicked to make animals suffer as it is to make humans suffer" (Jan Morris). "One of the first works devoted entirely to an attack on cruelty to animals. It is the only known book written by Primatt, but its influence has been wide-ranging. Primatt was one of the first authors to argue that animals, like humans, feel pain, stating: 'pain is pain, whether it be inflicted on man or on beast; and the creature that suffers it being sensible of the memory of it while it lasts, suffers evil.' He moves on to argue that even though animals come in all shapes and sizes it is immoral to harm one: 'whether we walk upon two legs or four; whether our heads are prone or erect; whether we are naked or covered in hair; whether we have tails or no tails, horns or no horns, long ears or round ears; or whether we bray like an ass, speak like a man, whistle like a bird, or are mute as a fishnature never intended these distinctions as foundations for right of tyranny and oppression.' Most of the work consists of passages from the Bible, and the book may have been forgotten had a summary of it not been appended to sermons by John Toogood. It was reprinted in 1822 by Arthur Broome, and caught the attention of social reformers such as William Wilberforce, who, along with Broome, established the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1824 [which called this work its 'foundation stone']. The society gained its royal status in 1840 and continues to promote animal welfare throughout England and Wales to this day" (Royal Collection Trust). While Primatt did not advocate vegetarianism himself, his powerful arguments in favor of limiting cruelty to animals have been used by others to argue for the moral necessity of a vegetarian lifestyle. Henry Salt, the leading promoter of vegetarianism at the turn of the 20th century, praised this "quaint but excellent book" and recognized its groundbreaking message about animal rights. This work is exceedingly rare and has not appeared at auction since 1968. With half title. ESTC T140541. Very faint occasional foxing, a few tiny spots of soiling to interior, binding quite lovely. An exceptional copy in near-fine condition.".